1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a warming unit for warming a fluid flowing therethrough, and, in particular, to a warming unit for warming a patient infusion medium being infused into a patient. The warming unit forms part of a system for warming a patient infusion medium including, for example, a controller for controlling and monitoring various characteristics of the warming unit and a power unit for powering the system.
2. Description of Related Art
Warming systems for warming a patient infusion medium (interchangeably referred to as “medium”) for infusion into a patient via an infusion tube, indirectly or directly, are known in the art. Some such systems, for example, may typically use a coiled length of tube to minimize the area necessary for contact with or placement in close proximity to an indirect heating element. Other systems use a heating element integrated with tubing, such as a braided heating element disposed between inner and outer layers of a dual extruded tube. Prior art warming systems also typically provide for measuring the temperature of the medium at some point within the system, and include a control unit integral with the heating element. Such control unit generally controls power to the heating element and measures the output temperature of the medium.
However, the warming systems of the prior art suffer from drawbacks and problems. One such problem is that the warming systems tend to be bulky and un-ergonomic, which leads to patient discomfort when the warming system is secured to the body of the patient.
A second problem with prior art warming systems is that they are prone to leakage. One source of leakage typically is the location at which a connector, or luer, at an end of the heating systems attaches to a mating connector of a neighboring piece of tubing. A second source of typical leakage is heating element overheating, which, for example, may create a hole in the tubing. This problem is compounded in those heating systems having onboard circuitry: once the infusion medium passes through the hole in the tubing, the escaped medium may contact the circuitry, and, in some cases, the heating system may short, smoke, and/or catch fire. As a result, a safety hazard can occur, the patient may be placed in discomfort or danger, and the heating system may need to be replaced. Further, any medical procedure underway might also need to be suspended while the heating system is replaced.